Henry Hastings Sibley, The Man Behind The School - Style One
Primary tabs
like. I still have the same curiousity about local history and when I moved to Northfield in 2010 I began learning about the origins of the town. From my interest in local historical figures, came my blog posts about Henry Mower Rice (Rice County), John Wesley North (Northfield), John, Edward, and George Archibald (Dundas) as well as other namesakes for landmarks in the Northfield area.
Sitting with my neighbors recently, I heard how Sibley Elementary was named. The elementary students in 1963 were allowed to vote for their choice of a name for the new school. Sibley was high on the list of recommendations and was clearly a popular choice with my neighbors even voting for him. His popularity around the state is further exemplified by the various cities, counties, and schools that bear his middle or family name. The legacy of having things named after a person sparks an interest in knowing why the person was special enough to have something like a city or school bear his name, at least it does in me.
See my blog post for links to more information about Henry Hastings Sibley.
CREDIT: mnhs.org, northfieldschools.org
Most schools today have a vision for educating their students, a statement coupled with their mission, beliefs, and strategies to accomplish their lofty goals. They spend much time with the help of community members to develop meaningful ideas that will impact their families and neighborhoods. They, as a school, want people to associate their vision with their school. In the mid-1900s, no educator talked about a mission or vision for their school. Instead, they looked to their community and beyond for role models for their students and to help them remember them, they put the names of these special people in a place where everyone would see them—on their schools.
Northfield in 1963 compiled their list and chose a man of adventure, character, intellect, and honor to grace their newest elementary school. That man was Henry Hastings Sibley, the first state governor of Minnesota. Most biographical sketches highlight his military and political accomplishments, however, a closer look at his life reveals much more than an educated and capable businessman. Henry lived at a time when the United States of America numbered 24 states and the wild West included land east of the Mississippi River. He was born in the Territory of Michigan and educated at the Academy of Detroit followed by two years of study in latin and greek, and additional study in law. His father wanted Henry to follow him in a career in law; Henry’s love of nature and sense of adventure overruled.
At age eighteen he headed north for work as a clerk near a military post. Thus began his life among the military, fur traders, and Dakota. He became fluent in French and Sioux as a
result of his work with the American Fur Company, befriended and advocated for the Dakota in the territories, led military campaigns against them in times of war, and served in government for the betterment of both settlers and Indians before and after Minnesota statehood. His life was not without controversy but, according to historical accounts, he worked for the good of all people during a time when life was valued more by skin color or social position. You may find the link on my blog post to read his unfinished autobiography.
It is important for us all to know our history. Robert Pondiscio, former elementary school teacher in NYC, said it best in his article about school namesakes here: “If it's important enough to put someone's name on a public building, it should be important enough to know why.”
I have always been interested in history, especially the history of people and places close to me. As a child growing up on Childsdale in Rockford Michigan, I was an editor of the Childs View Press, a monthly neighborhood news magazine that my family published. One of the first articles was a story my Dad contributed about the history behind the name Childsdale with information on the Childs family. I remember wanting to know the stories of the people from the past that lived and worked in the area and imagined what their lives must have been
